ANTEL (Spanish abbreviation for National Administration of Telecommunications) is Uruguay's state-owned company for telecommunications.

Previously in Uruguay, phone numbers used to have between 4 and 7 digits. To make a local phone call, you only had to dial those digits. To make a call between two cities from different departments, you had to dial zero, plus area code, plus phone number.

As from August 29, 2010, all phone numbers have 8 digits, according to the new National Numbering Plan. Zero prior to area code was eliminated. Therefore, to make a call to any city in the country you have to dial 8 digits. This plan was implemented by URSEC (Spanish abbreviation for Regulator Unit of Services of Communications).

For calls from outside the country to any city in Uruguay, you only have to add the country code (+598) to the 8-digit national number, replacing the "+" with the international calling prefix used in the originating country (011 from North America, 00 from most other countries, the actual "+" sign from some mobile networks, etc.).

When mobile telephony arrived in Uruguay, the only company set up the country was Movicom BellSouth. Mobile phone numbers would begin with digits 09, followed by a unique number of 6 digits: 09xxxxxx.

In 1994, ANTEL decided to start its own mobile phone service, creating Ancel, which today is unified to Antel, using this brand to both services.. This meant a numbering change for mobile telephony. One number was assigned to each company to identify numbers of each one. This digit would go between 09 and the number. Movicom was assigned number 4, and Ancel number 9. Mobile phones until then (which were Movicom) went to 094xxxxxx, and new Ancel numbers began to be 099xxxxxx.

In 2003, Claro came to Uruguay (formerly as CTI Móvil). Numbers of this company were preceded by 096, like this: 096xxxxxx.